STATE SEN. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, called Alabama’s latest charter school proposal a "hijacking, for the lack of a better word, of our public education system."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The latest proposal, Senate Bill 513, narrowly approved in committee last week, would allow ailing schools to be converted to charter schools so they could be more innovative. In fact, under the Senate proposal, converting low-performing traditional schools to charter schools would be the only way charters would be allowed in the state.

So, brand-new charter schools would not suddenly pop up down the road from healthy traditional schools, from which they could siphon off students. Considering this careful and measured approach, the bill — introduced by Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road — deserves the approval of the full Senate.

Some of the state’s biggest supporters of public education — the School Superintendents of Alabama and the Alabama Association of School Boards — are now backing SB 513. The AASB calls it the "new and improved" Education Options Act.

You can see why charter schools are catching on in many parts of the country. They enjoy autonomy in key areas such as finance, personnel, scheduling, curriculum and instruction. And they are recognized for their mentoring, innovation and smaller class sizes.

The proposal would prevent a state council from forcing more than one charter school on a district, so opponents needn’t worry that it would endanger the whole of public education — as some have claimed. In fact, any charter schools would still be public schools, and they could be closed down if they do not perform adequately.

In some failing school districts in Alabama, families are desperate for any improvement that could brighten their students’ educational prospects. The bill being proposed in the Senate is no silver bullet, but it would give a few struggling schools a fighting chance at success.